Music & Dance Music-Dance News Sept-Oct '19 | Page 12

Music & Dance News
September/October 2019
Ray Sands continued
Page 12
The band performed on KAAA radio in 1950.
bands from Minnesota
to be selected. Then, in
1982, we went back to
Europe and played in
Norway, Sweden, and
Denmark.
What is your favorite
ballroom?
I guess I would have
to say the Pla-Mor
Ballroom in Rochester,
MN. We started play-
ing there shortly after
the band was organized
and played about twice
a month until it was sold
and torn down about 15
years ago.
As far as a classic ball-
room, the Prom Ball-
room in Saint Paul, MN
stands out in my mind.
We played there once a
month for many years.
What events do you
perform at?
The ballrooms are get-
ting fewer. We now play
for a lot of county fairs,
wedding anniversaries,
park concerts, and spe-
cial events.
What event is your fa-
vorite?
Without a question, it
was the Kennedy Center
in Washington, DC in
1997. There were people
there from all over the
world. We were busy
signing autographs for
close to an hour after the
show.
Ray’s story
“My dad made me the
happiest 9-year-old kid
in the county when he
bought me a used accor-
dion for $25 in 1940,”
said Ray Sands, who
never could’ve imag-
ined then that he’d still
be producing music with
the ever-popular bel-
lows-driven free-reed
instruments nearly 80
years later.
From humble begin-
nings on an instrument
that leaked about half the
air he squeezed into it,
Ray has fashioned a mu-
sical career starting with
a family band, weekends
playing at town events,
and eventually a full-
time gig and ownership
of the Polka Dots.
The group, which cel-
ebrates its 70th anniver-
sary Sept. 15, 2019, is
one of Minnesota’s most
widely-recognized old-
time dance bands.
“The Polka Dots are
like family,” Ray said.
“They’re a group of ex-
tremely-talented musi-
cians who can play some
of the best polkas, waltz-
es, two-steps, fox trots,
and Latin dance music
around.”
For 70 years, the band
has played all across
southern
Minnesota,
western Wisconsin, and
northern Iowa, in ven-
ues including the Prom
Ballroom in St. Paul,
Pla-Mor in Rochester,
Terp in Austin, Kato in
Mankato, Bel-Rae in
Mounds View, Majestic
in Cottage Grove, Relay
Station in Mantorville,
Surf in Clear Lake, IA,
and more.
“Back when dance
halls were popular, we’d
be playing two or three
times every weekend,
being the main band for
weddings, anniversaries,
town celebrations, or
just on regular ballroom
dance schedules,” Ray
explained.
During one two-week
period in the 1950s, they
played 16 out of 17 nights
and still had time for a
weekly radio broadcast
from a Red Wing radio
station.
How it all began
The band began as a
Zumbrota community
band in the mid-1940s,
organized by business-
man Art Fitch. They
played street concerts
and benefits to help raise
money for the Zumbrota
Hospital Fund, and peo-
ple loved their music.
By fall 1949, band
members wore snazzy
polka dot ties, and they
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